Abstract
Motivation explains why a person acts to achieve something. It is the force that triggers human actions. Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors, it entails biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that stimulate human behavior. The study aimed to assess the perceived effects of motivation on student nurses' psychological status and academic performance at Zamfara State College of Nursing Science, Gusau. The study adopted a quantitative non-experimental survey design with a sample size of One hundred and twenty-eight (128) Intermediate Class student nurses. The study utilized content validity and test-retest reliability to ensure the validity and reliability of the questionnaire used for the research. Content Validity Index was determined to be 0.7, Test-retest reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach alpha of 0.7. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection and analyzed descriptively with Likert scale mean score of 2.5. The findings reveal that 77 (66.16%) of the respondents were female, conducive learning environments and recognition of hard work through rewards was also identified as effective strategies for motivation with a grand mean of 3.7. The study concluded that there is significant impact of motivation on the psychological status and academic performance of student nurses. The study recommended that nursing schools and healthcare organizations need to implement workshops or training sessions for nurse educators, clinical instructors, and administrators on effective strategies to motivate students and recognize their achievements. It was also recommended that practitioners in nursing education and healthcare settings should collaborate to develop interdisciplinary approaches to fostering motivation and enhancing psychological well-being among nurses and government initiatives to prioritize student nurse's well-being and academic success.